Federer continues supreme progress at Indian Wells

Roger Federer on Wednesday at Indian Wells routed another opponent in extra-quick time, a result sending the Swiss veteran into the quarterfinals.

Federer beat Brit Kyle Edmund 6-1 6-4 in just 63 minutes, ending the 22nd seed’s seven-match winning streak and extending his own to eight.

Edmund 0-5 Federer after 19 minutes.

Federer does this to people like few others. Jumps on them, knows how to make things awkward, rush opponents. Make them panic. Edmund yet to settle.

— David Law (@DavidLawTennis) March 13, 2019

The victory came a day after Federer beat fellow Swiss Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka in under an hour.

“I was relieved I got through that one,” Federer said of beating Edmund.

A five-time champion at Indian Wells, Federer next faces Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, who got past Denis Shapovalov in three sets.

Roger Federer: last five matches

Also progressing to the quarterfinals was Karen Khachanov; the Russian extended his record over No.8 seed John Isner to 4-0 following a 6-4 7-6(1) victory.

In later matches on Wednesday, Dominic Thiem and Gael Monfils set up a thrilling quarterfinal with commanding wins in the fourth round evening matches.

Thiem diffused rocket server Ivo Karlovic 6-4 6-3 while Monfils crushed Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-0 6-2 to take his win loss record in 2019 to 15-3.

That was frightening. @Gael_Monfils powers into the quarter-finals in 57 minutes with a 6-0 6-2 win over Kohlschreiber#BNPPO19 pic.twitter.com/ogLFVZm3Ha

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 14, 2019

Seventh seed Thiem has yet to lose a match to 18th seed Monfils in four career meetings.

Meanwhile, second seed Rafael Nadal advanced to the quarterfinals with a routine win over qualifier Filip Krajinovic.

World No.2 Nadal dropped his serve once in a 6-3 6-4 victory on a sunny and windy Wednesday.

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Nadal remains on track for a potential semifinal against Federer in the bottom half of the draw; Federer has won their past five meetings, including at Indian Wells in 2017.

The top half was rocked by the upsets of top-ranked Novak Djokovic and No.3 seed Alexander Zverev on Tuesday.

First, Nadal has to get past Khachanov, the 12th seed.

“The difference between players is not huge. It’s small gaps,” Nadal said about the upsets. “It’s true that for the last 10 years didn’t happen very often.”

Krajinovic hadn’t dropped a set in winning his first three main-draw matches after two wins in qualifying but he was outclassed by Nadal in their one hour and 26 minute encounter.

“Probably played a little bit worse today than yesterday,” Nadal said. “Maybe because of the conditions.”

Meanwhile, Miomir Kecmanovic, a 19-year-old Serb ranked world No.130, to the last eight when Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan retired after he losing the first set 6-4.

Kecmanovic became the first lucky loser to reach the quarterfinals since the tournament achieved Masters 1000 status in 1990.

“It will be funny that somebody other than Novak is still in,” he said of his famous countryman.

Kecmanovic got into the main draw when world No.6 Kevin Anderson withdrew before his opening match with an elbow injury.

Canadian Milos Raonic will be Kecmanovic’s next opponent after the big-serving 13th seed accounted for German Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4 6-3.

Raonic broke serve once in each set and fired down 12 aces in the 74-minute match.